Not only self-released, but also self-manufactured (and sold via the websites www.jbppresentsmartybalin.com and
www.jeffersonstarshipsf}), Marty Balin's Lost Treasures: The Aviator is an 18-track collection of melodic rock songs boasting the singer's distinctive bluesy tenor, which has graced records dating back to the days of
Jefferson Airplane (and before). The album bears no information beyond the song titles, but the musical styles are typical of the
Balin of the mid-'70s, his period with
Jefferson Starship, when he sang lead on such hits as "Miracles," and his major-label solo career of the early '80s, with the LPs Balin and Lucky and hits like "Hearts." A saxophone often joins the guitar/keyboards/bass/drums instrumentation, providing a foil to
Balin's characteristic voice, which usually sings romantic lyrics. (One exception to the subject matter is the Latin-tinged "Viva la Vida," which is a tribute to the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.) Nothing here is as impressive as the best of
Balin, but there certainly are songs -- notably "Mary Ann" and "Yes Yes Yes" -- that easily could have ranked among his hits if they had appeared on a
Jefferson Starship or solo album during his commercial heyday. The sound is often reminiscent of the kind of
arena rock bands that took their inspiration from
Jefferson Airplane and
Jefferson Starship in the '70s and '80s, bands like
Journey,
Foreigner,
REO Speedwagon, and
Styx. Of course, none of those bands boasted a singer as identifiable as
Balin, who earns the album's title as "the Aviator" not only in reference to his tenure with
Jefferson Airplane, but also with his soaring voice. Fans of his long career will welcome these tracks as "lost treasures," even though the sound quality is somewhat variable and the collection comes off as a hodge-podge of material apparently recorded at different times. ~ William Ruhlmannwww.jbppresentsmartybalin.com} and www.jeffersonstarshipsf),
Marty Balin's Lost Treasures: The Aviator is an 18-track collection of melodic rock songs boasting the singer's distinctive bluesy tenor, which has graced records dating back to the days of
Jefferson Airplane (and before). The album bears no information beyond the song titles, but the musical styles are typical of the
Balin of the mid-'70s, his period with
Jefferson Starship, when he sang lead on such hits as "Miracles," and his major-label solo career of the early '80s, with the LPs Balin and Lucky and hits like "Hearts." A saxophone often joins the guitar/keyboards/bass/drums instrumentation, providing a foil to
Balin's characteristic voice, which usually sings romantic lyrics. (One exception to the subject matter is the Latin-tinged "Viva la Vida," which is a tribute to the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.) Nothing here is as impressive as the best of
Balin, but there certainly are songs -- notably "Mary Ann" and "Yes Yes Yes" -- that easily could have ranked among his hits if they had appeared on a
Jefferson Starship or solo album during his commercial heyday. The sound is often reminiscent of the kind of
arena rock bands that took their inspiration from
Jefferson Airplane and
Jefferson Starship in the '70s and '80s, bands like
Journey,
Foreigner,
REO Speedwagon, and
Styx. Of course, none of those bands boasted a singer as identifiable as
Balin, who earns the album's title as "the Aviator" not only in reference to his tenure with
Jefferson Airplane, but also with his soaring voice. Fans of his long career will welcome these tracks as "lost treasures," even though the sound quality is somewhat variable and the collection comes off as a hodge-podge of material apparently recorded at different times. ~ William Ruhlmannwww.jeffersonstarshipsf),
Marty Balin's Lost Treasures: The Aviator is an 18-track collection of melodic rock songs boasting the singer's distinctive bluesy tenor, which has graced records dating back to the days of
Jefferson Airplane (and before). The album bears no information beyond the song titles, but the musical styles are typical of the
Balin of the mid-'70s, his period with
Jefferson Starship, when he sang lead on such hits as "Miracles," and his major-label solo career of the early '80s, with the LPs Balin and Lucky and hits like "Hearts." A saxophone often joins the guitar/keyboards/bass/drums instrumentation, providing a foil to
Balin's characteristic voice, which usually sings romantic lyrics. (One exception to the subject matter is the Latin-tinged "Viva la Vida," which is a tribute to the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.) Nothing here is as impressive as the best of
Balin, but there certainly are songs -- notably "Mary Ann" and "Yes Yes Yes" -- that easily could have ranked among his hits if they had appeared on a
Jefferson Starship or solo album during his commercial heyday. The sound is often reminiscent of the kind of
arena rock bands that took their inspiration from
Jefferson Airplane and
Jefferson Starship in the '70s and '80s, bands like
Journey,
Foreigner,
REO Speedwagon, and
Styx. Of course, none of those bands boasted a singer as identifiable as
Balin, who earns the album's title as "the Aviator" not only in reference to his tenure with
Jefferson Airplane, but also with his soaring voice. Fans of his long career will welcome these tracks as "lost treasures," even though the sound quality is somewhat variable and the collection comes off as a hodge-podge of material apparently recorded at different times. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
